Shizuka

Flavor: Strong sweetness with a buttery texture

Approximate Ripening: Late September

Uses: Salads, eating, cooking, drying

Trivia: A Japanese cross between Golden Delicious and Indo (identical parentage as its sister apple, Mutsu), Shizuka was introduced to America in 1949, one of Japan’s early exports after World War II. The Japanese word shizuka means “quiet” or “calm.”

Notes: Shizuka takes the sweetness of its sister apple, Mutsu, and ratchets it up several notches. For sweet apple lovers, Shizuka is a real find. Its intense flavor delights the palate, and its soft, buttery smooth skin carries a gorgeous golden green hue strongly blushed fire-orange. Like Mutsu, Shizukas grow large, so have someone to share it with!